The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-13
THE RAILWAY PLUNDERERS
The officials Think that Nearly All Men
Under Arrest Will Be Convicted.
The Trials To Be Pushed as Rapidly as Pos
sible-Why the Railway People Permitted
the Depredations To Be Continued.


of men who were in search of employment
They focked to the depot so fast that line of
them extended outside of the office, waiting for
their applications for situations freight con-
ductors and brakemen to be heard. Many of
them were given employment. The road is
fully equipped and there is no delay in the move
ment of freight
NO arrests have been reported since last night.
IL is thought the officials of the road are satisfied
with the work of the detectives and that no more
arrests will be made in this city. Speaking of
the probable conviction of the men now in Jail,
special agent Rue said, this morning, that of the
sixty men now under arrest there was not more
than one, possibly two. of them who stood
any chance of being shown not guilty. Said he
"We had our evidence 80 complete that we did
not make an arrest until we had sufficient proof
to show that the man guilty. We expect to
make eight or ten more arrests Of men who
worked the road successfully for a time and
then, for fear Of detection took positions on other
lines This will swell the total number of arrests
to slxty-eght or seventy
Mr.. Rue said the saddest case in connection
with the arrests was that of man whose child
was dying. When the officers knocked at the
door of his home, on Sunday night he was
sitting with his wife by the bedside of his sick
child. Be appeared to be man of more than
ordinary intelligence, and his home had an air
of refinement about it. When the officers told
him they had warrant for his arrest, he seemed
to realize at once the disgrace into which he had
fallen, and be broke down completely
The capture OF J. r. Dunlap at Dennison,
O.. yesterday. particularly pleased the de-
tectives. AS stated last night he made con-
tession in which he said the stealing had been
going on for months. He said he could give the
names of all the men implicated on the Pitts
burg division Of the Panhandle but was afraid
to do so, his language to the officer being II
would give you the names, but, great Cod they
would kill me-" There was no organization
among the robbers. Dunlap said, and no regular
place of work. Each worked BIZ itself
1t was a common understanding that every man
should take all he could and dispose of i. to the
best advantage. There were number of
principals" that name being applied to those
who reaped the largest benefits from the rob-
berries by giving the others pointers as to what
cars contained the most goods These persons
were generously rewarded by the less prominent
thieves after the plumber had been disposed of
to the fences" The Fences" Dunlap said,
were located in Philadelphia, Dennison, Steuben-
vile. Cincinnati and Pittsburg, and also in
Columbus.
Notwithstanding Dunlap's confession. the
derers were thoroughly organized and carried
the robbery under the systematic direction
of shrewd leaders. When a new man entered
a. A.
the right kind of fellow he was initiated into
the gang with rigid oath binding him to
secrecy. After he had been initiated it was
easy enough to keep him in check if he began
to feel any pangs of conscience. 1t was broadly
limited to them that any wrong move would
result disastrously. as railroading furnished
frstclass opportunities for putting men out of
the way. Young from the country who
were just beginning to run the road were
the easiest prey. They could soon be persuaded
that there was nothing wrong about stealing
from the rich railroad companies. Being I'M
used to the tricks of the old eads they were
easily led on until they were SO deep in the tolls
that they could not get out if they wanted to-
While rummaging through the effects of one
of the rugeaders this morning Special Ofic or
dynamite cartridges, sufficient to blow up the
largest building in town. The discovery created
considerable alarm. and the cartridges were
handled very gingerly. A further examna ton
disclosed lot of fuse and caps-in fact, all the
necessary paraphernalia for the successful firing
of the cartridges. Immediately after the find
ing of the dynamite an investigation was begun,
the result of which. however, the detectives re-
| fused to make public. They even declined to
| give the name of the man in whose room the
| stuff was found Officer Miller intm ated that
| the object of the robbers in securing the dyna-
mite was known. and that it would make good
reading when the proper time for its disclosure
| came.
| There was consultation, this morning be-
| tween Assistant District Attorney Pagan and
| John ID. Hampton. attorney for the Pennsylva-
| MIA Company, in regard to the indictment and
trial of the prisoners. The trials will be pushed
| large number or the men will plead guilty on
one or two charges. and thus escape trial on an
| accumulation of charges A number of the
petty fellows. whose stealngs were trifiiur will
| be discharged and told to leave this part of the
country. The wages of the men against whom
charges have been made have been withheld by
| the company on the ground that the men owe
much more to the company than is due them.
Some people wonder why We allowed these
depredations TO continue SO long, said Mr.. Hamp-
| ton, this morning. 1T is very easily explained
| While it is simple enough to discover tho fact
that the freight trains are being robbed it is
|
going on. After locating the particular part of
the line between Philadelphia and Chicago and
| St Louis where the crews were stealing. it took
long time to get direct and clear evidence
against the men. We have acted with prudence
and care. and the result will be conviction in
every There is little doubt that the pres
ent exposure will lead to others on other roads.
Some of these in the Pennsylvania Com
pany's system and some in the Baltimore &
Ohio. 1t is said that the stealing on these other
roads was not confined to box-car freights.
| Through the aid of teamsters and yard agents.
/ large quantities of pig-iron and manufactured
iron and steel have been stolen from tho cars in
| Pittspurg and in several other cities not far
away These cases will be worked up soon"
But three additional arrests were made to
day. The first one was Elmer Young brake
man, who arrested at East Palestine O.
IL his house large quantity of goods supposed
to have been stolen recovered. About noon
j. X. Mullin, brakeman. against whom there
are eleven charges. walked into Deputy Mayor
! Grips Office and gave himself up. A little
| later in the day. James l.. Armstrong, for
| whom warrant out. did the same
| thing, and both men were placed behind the jail
bars. During the day ten of the prisoners were
released upon bail, the bond required being $500
upon each charge. The persons let out were
S. c. Lawson, John Hastings, +. NJ Maple, H